Chain saw guard



June 26, 1962 R. E. GOODSON CHAIN SAW GUARD 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 3, 1959 INVENTOR. fly E 600050 MM June 1962 R. E. GOODSON 3,040,790

CHAIN SAW GUARD Filed Dec. 5, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

/saex. 5 600030 M w June 26, 1962 R. E. GOODSON CHAIN SAW GUARD Filed Dec. 3, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. REX 60 0119041 United States Patent Ofifice Patented June 26, 1962 3,049,790 C SAW GUARD Rex E. Goodson, Rte. 1, Cataldo, Idaho Filed Dec. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 857,171 3 Claims. (Cl. 143159) This invention relates to an improved chain saw guide.

The invention comprises a simple two-piece structure formed to pivot at the end of a chain saw blade and to cover the teeth of the saw while it is being transported. It contemplates the use of resilient material adjacent the saw teeth and a simple locking mechanism at the pivot.

It is an object of this invention to provide a chain saw guard which is readily adaptable to any existing saw.

It is a further object of this invention to lock the guard firmly in place without any latching mechanism being connected to the saw itself and without any protruding members.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a chain saw guard using two identical guard members which are inexpensive and easily fabricated.

These and further objects will be evident from the following disclosure and the accompanying drawings which show a preferred form of the invention. This form is meant to be an example only, and is not to limit the field of the invention except as it is stated in the annexed claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE .1 shows a side view. of a chain saw with the guard in place and a portion of the outer wall of the top guard section broken away;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the chain saw guard;

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the chain saw guard showing it in an open position;

FIGURE 5 is a side view of a single guard section;

FIGURE 6 is an end view of the outer end of the guard;

FIGURE 7 is an exploded view of the hinge assembly; and

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along line 88 in FIGURE 5, but showing a modified guard construction.

FIGURE 1 shows the guard 1% locked in place on a typical chain saw generally designated as 11. The saw 11 has an extended flat chain guide 12 along which slides chain 13 having teeth 14. The saw construction is old, and since the guard is designed to be used with any of the chain .saws on the market, further discussion of the saw will not be given.

The guard 10 comprises two identical sections, a lower section 15 and an upper section 16. The upper section 16 will be specifically described, but since it is identical to lower section 15, this description will be equally applicable to the latter.

Section 16 comprises a longitudinal section 17 which extends the length of the blade and has an inner end 18 and an outer end 19. End 18 is formed along the straight section 17 and is notched at 20 to receive the saw mounting. The section 17 is formed with an inner channel 21 which is rectangular in cross-section. In this embodiment shown in FIGURES 1-7 the entire guard is made of a plastic material which is rigid, but also soft enough to prevent damage to the teeth 14. Channel 21 is formed to a depth sufficient to receive the entire height of the chain 13 and teeth 14 on one side of the guide 12. It is wide enough to freely slide over and receive theteeth 14.

The remaining end of the longitudinal section 17 has formed thereon an enlarged angular outer end 19. This the totalthickness of the remainder of upper section 16. This area 23 includes a circular ear 24 which extends beyond the remainder of section 16 as shown. A projection 25 at the end of ear 24 acts as a stop, aswill be explained later. The tip of the thick portion of end 19 is formed as an abutment 26. The flat edge 27 which lies between ear 24 and channel 22 is out along a plane at a slight angle to the horizontal plane of section 17 in order to enable the guard 10 to be closed beyond the horizontal. This is necessarysince the saw chain guide 12 is wider at its outer end 12a than at its inner end 12b.

Retaining pins 28 are fixed within the channel 21 near end 17 and are spaced from one another a distance sufiicient to clear the edges of chain 13. A retaining bar 29 is formed within channel 17 directly above pins 28, which serves as a longitudinal stop against the teeth 14 between which it is inserted.

The pivot construction can best be seen in FIGURE 7. The inner faces 24a of the cars 24 are positioned adjacent to one another to form the complete guard 10. Apertures are cut through the center of these circular profiles to receive the mounting bolt." Also centered in the circular profiles of outer surfaces 24b as well as inner surfaces 24a are recesses 30b and 3%, respectively, cut into the surfaces to a depth sufiicient to receive the mounting washers. Three upstanding lugs 31 are formed in each recess 39b and 3% as shown. I

The bolt 36 has ahead 32 at one end, with a square shoulder 33. Shoulder 33 fits in the square aperture of an outer washer 34 which has three holes 35 to receive lugs 31. This structure prevents relative movement of bolt 36, outer washer 34 and the ear 24. The inner surend has a curved channel 22 which connects with channel face 24a has mounted thereon an inner washer 37 which has holes 38 to receive the lugs 31 in recess 30a. The outer surface of the washer 37 is serrated as shown at 39. The inner washer 40 on the adjacent ear 24 is identical in construction and mounting to that described with respect to washer 37. The outer washer 41 of the adjacent ear 24 is identical to washer 34 except that it has a circular aperture rather than a square one. An adjusting nut 42 is threadably engaged with bolt 36 adjacent to the washer 34. Nut 42 is provided with ears 43 to facilitate manual adjustment. A cap nut 44 is threaded on the end of bolt 36, leaving sufficient clearance for movement of the adjusting nut 42.

The pivot construction just described results in the locking of the sections 15 and 16 in any angular position within limits. The serrations on washers 37 and 40 positively The amount of angular spreading possible between sections 15 and 16 is held within narrow limits by projections 25 and their abutments 26 which are contacted after movement of 15-20 degrees. This provides easy access to a saw and maintains the guard 10 in constant position to be readily clamped to the saw 11.

It is to be noted that the exterior shape of the guard may be of any desired shape. It may be curved, flat or square without modifying this invention. The pivot construction may be varied, so long as a clamp is maintained beyond the saw which will effectively lock the two sections in place.

The materials shown so far are all plastic except for a pins 28' and the retaining bar 29' serve to protect the teeth 14 from being marred by the metal casing.

It is believed that this description fully illustrates the chain saw guard and its use. The fact that both sections 15 and 16 are identical serves to provide an economical guard since fabrication costs are lowered considerably. The guard is durable, safe and quickly assembled and disassembled on a saw at the point of use. It serves to protect both the saw teeth and the person carrying it.

This description is not to limit the scope of the invention, except as it is clearly defined in the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

.1. A chain saw guard comprising upper and lower longitudinal sections, inwardly curved outer end sections formed integrally on said upper and lower longitudinal sections respectively, locking pivot means connecting said upper and lower longitudinal sections at their inwardly curved outer end sections, an open channel cut into the inner face of the longitudinal sections and the inwardly curved outer end sections adapted to receive the teeth of a chain saw, a pair of retaining pins formed inwardly in each of said channels near the ends of the longitudinal sections opposite to said curved outer end sections and spaced so as to receive the chain between each pair within each channel and a retaining bar formed on the inside edge of the channels. adjacent to the retaining pins, adapted to abut the saw teeth.

2. A guard as defined in claim 1 wherein said locking pivot means comprises means fixed at one end to one of said outer end sections and extending through the other outer end section and clamping means in adjustable engagement with the other end of said means adapted to urge said outer end sections together in a lateral direction to thereby prevent pivotal movement between the outer end sections.

3. A chain saw guard comprising upper and lower longitudinal sections, inwardly curved outer end sections formed integrally on said upper and lower longitudinal sections respectively, a locking hinge assembly pivotally connecting said upper and lower longitudinal sections at their inwardly curved outer end sections, each longitudinal section having an inwardly facing longitudinal channel formed thereon adapted to receive the teeth of a chain saw, means located Within said channels adapted to space the teeth from the channel sides, and a transverse abutment fixed within the channel of each longitudinal section adapted to be located between longitudinally adjacent saw teeth when the guard is locked in position by said locking hinge assembly, to thereby limit longitudinal motion of said guard with respect to the chain saw.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 205,519 Ayers July 2, 1878 850,481 Lomofi Apr. 16, 1907 1,119,787 Pause Dec. 1, 1914 1,627,901 Hills May 10, 1927 1,643,085 Perry Sept. 20, 1927 2,638,944 Wholeslagle May 19, 1953 2,826,294 Nicodemus Mar. 11, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 835,242 Germany Mar. 31, 1952 160,814 Sweden Aug. 1, 1957 

